Wetting composition



ceases set. a, 1

- PANT WETTIN G COMPOSITION Werner E. Kleinicke,

Coaiwood, W.

Va., assignor to The Johnson-Marsh Corporation, New York,

Serial No. 4 Claims. (Cl. 252-354) finds special advantage for therapicl and effecing essentially an ester or alcohol, soluble in water.

tive wetting of, for example, coal dust in coal mines for the prevention of formation of explosives mixtures of coal dust and air and for the rapid and effective wetting of various rock dust for the prevention of negative physiological efiects, as, for example, silicosis.

Heretofore it has been known that esters of suli'odicarbomlic acids have a superior wetting power adapting them for various use as wetting agents. However, such esters in many cases are usable only with great difiiculty or are substantially useless as agents for facilitating wetting ammonium, calcium,

with water, since variously they are of low to substantialLv' no solubility in cold water.

Now in accordance with this invention, it has been found that esters of sulfodicarboxylic acids which are of low to substantially no solubility in cold water may be rendered soluble, or more readily soluble, in cold water through the medium of their association with urea. Hence, this invention comprises a new composition comprismixed ester of a slumdicarbowlic acid, and their basic salts, characterized by low solubility in water, and urea.

The composition according to this invention may also include an antifreeze, as a poiyhydric For use as a wetting agent, the composition will be 181113 diluted though not essentially, water. g

The esters comprising an essential ingredient of the composition according to this invention are fully described together with procedure for their preparation in U. 8. Patent No. 2,028,091, January 14, 1936, to Jaeger.

The urea ingredient of the composition, as has been indicated, will perform the function of rendering the esters soluble or more readily soluble in water, while the antifreeze, which may, for example, be. ethylene glycol, glycerine, or the like, will protect the composition, when water is includ from freezing under low temperature;

By way ofexample, the esters and basic salts thereof having low or no solubility in water conwill initially include some with water and desirably,

. proportion on the Formula A Pounds Sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate 0.85

Urea v 3.0

Water sufflcient to make a total of one gallon Formula B Pounds Sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate 0.85

Urea 2.0

Ethylene glycol 2.0

a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 24, 1940, 362,622

templated as components of compositions in accordance with this invention will comprise compounds, of the type indicated, each of the alkyl' radicals of which is octyl or higher, such as, for example, the sodium salts of dioctyl, dilauryl, distea'ryl sulfosuccinate. Again the composition will comprise other compounds of the type indicated, such, for example, as ethyl stearyl sulfosuccinate, dibutyl sodium sulfosebacate, fenchyl sodium cinate, calcium diamyl sulfosuccinate, calcium dihexyi sulfosuccinate, and the like esters, mixed esters, basic, as, for example, sodium, potassium,

and certain metal, as iron, salts thereof, characwater.

The essential components of the composition according to this ester, basic, and certain 'metal salts, thereof of low or no solubility in water, and urea, may be in widely varying proportions, though generally speaking they will desirably be present in the basis of about 0.85 pound of ester, mixed ester, or salt thereof, to 1.5-3.0 pounds of urea.

Where an antifreeze, as ethylene glycol, glycerine, or the like, is included, it may be included in widely varying proportion, but desirably will be present in the pounds on the basis of 0.85 pound of ester to 1.5-3.0 pounds of urea.

Where, as is desirable, water is initially includwidely varying amounts. Preferably, however, it will be included in amount sufllcient to make a total of one gallon including the other ingredients on the basis of the proportions given above.

'As illustrative of compositions according to this-- invention, for example, clear solutions 'which will be miscible with water in all proportions may be made upon the following formulae:

, Water suflicient to make a total oi one gallon 3 sulfosuccinate, glycol sulfosucand the like, salts thereof,-

invention, 1. e., ester, mixed proportion of from 1.0-3.0 I

Formula C Pounds Sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate L 0.85 Urea 1.5 Ethylene gly 3.0 Water sufiicient to make a total of one gallon As illustrative of the preparation of compositions according to this invention where water may be included, 0.85 pound of, for example, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate may be first added to about 3.5 pounds of water. Desirably the water will be heated, say, ior example, to about 180 Fahrenheit, in order to promote partial solution oi! the sodium dioctyl suifosuccinate. To the milky and strongly foaming solution are added 3 pounds of urea without further application of heat, whereupon the partial solution will turn glass clear and become very limpid. Finally, the solution is diluted with enough water, about 2 pounds, to make one gallon of final composition. As an alternative, urea and sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate may be heated together with the total of the required water to make one gallon oi concentrate, or the non-aqueous ingredients may be blended without water, shipped in such condition and dissolved in water as needed for their use as required.

As illustrative of the preparation of compositions in accordance with this invention where an antifreeze is included, for the purpose of safe storage at extremely low winter temperatures, 0.85 pound of, for example, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate is added to 2 pounds or an antifreeze, for example, ethylene glycol, and 3.5 pounds of water, preferably with heat as above. Then 2 pounds of urea are added, and after this has gone into solution, the mixture is diluted with suflicient water, say about 1.25 pounds, to make one gallon of composition. Again, as an alternative, the non-aqueous constituents of the composition may be intimately blended first, shipped in this condition, and transformed into aqueous concentrates or dilute solution as need arises dissolving in water.

For use, the composition in accordance with this invention, for example, for the wetting of dust, will desirably be highly diluted with water.

- Thus, for example, the, composition whether blended with water or without any consequential amount of water will, for use. be dissolved in water in the proportion, for example, on the basis of about 1 pound of its ester or salt component content to about 10,000 parts oi! water, by

weight. Thus, for example, the composition on Formula A, containing 0.85 pound of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, when blended without water, would desirably be dissolved in about 8,350 pounds of water. a

Again considering the compositions of Formulae B and C, variously containing urea and water and urea, ethylene glycol and water, these compositions may, for use, desirably be diluted on the ratio of 1 part of the composition as a whole to about 1000 parts of water by weight, since they contain sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate in amount of about 10%.

It will be understood that where in the claims appended hereto the term ester is used, it is intended that such term shall include mixed esters and basic and metalv salts of esters and mixed esters as equivalents.

It will be understood that the compositions detailed above for illustrative purposes and the illustrative modes of preparation and use are not intended as limiting upon the scope of this invention.

What I Patent is:

1, A wetting composition comprising an alkali salt of an ester of sulfosuccinic acid from the group consisting of alkali salts of diherwl and dioctyl sulfosuccinates, urea and a water-soluble polyhydrio alcohol from the group consisting of claim and desire-to protect by Letters glycerine and ethylene glycol in'proportion on the.

basis of 0.85 part by weight of alkali salt, 1.5-3 parts by weight of urea and 3.0-1.0 parts by weight of polyhydric alcohol.

2. A wetting composition comprising an alkali salt of dioctyl sulfosuccinate, urea and'a polyhydric alcohol from the group consisting of glycerine and ethylene glycol in proportion on the basis of 0.85 part by weight of alkali salt, 1.5-3.0

.parts by weight of urea and 3.0-1.0 parts by weight of polyhydric alcohol. I

3. A wetting composition comprising an alkali salt of dihexyl sulfosuccinate, urea and a polyhydric alcohol from the group consisting of glycerine and ethylene glycol in proportion onthe basis of 0.85 part by weight of alkali salt, 1.5-3.0 parts by weight of urea and 3.0-1.0 parts by weight of polyhydric alcohol.

4. A wetting composition comprising sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, urea and ethylene glycol inproportion on the basis of 0.85 partby weight of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, 2 parts by weight of urea and 2 parts by weight of ethylene glycol.

WERNER E. CKE. 

